


In This Light

by crackinthecup



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Archery, F/F, Femslash, Finwëan Ladies Week 2020, First Kiss, Light-Hearted, Romance, Valinor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:33:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26882962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crackinthecup/pseuds/crackinthecup
Summary: “Now go. It’s bad enough that Elenwë knows I associate with you.”Tyelkormo passed the bow and arrow back to her, flashing a dazzling smile. “A keeper, then.”Aredhel tries to impress Elenwë with her archery skills. Celegorm unwittingly interrupts.
Relationships: Aredhel & Celegorm | Turcafinwë, Aredhel/Elenwë (Tolkien)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 12
Collections: Finwëan Ladies Week 2020





	In This Light

**Author's Note:**

> 1) Written for Finwëan Ladies Week 2020, Day 3: Aredhel and Galadriel.
> 
> 2) This is a re-write of a fic that was published a few years ago but has since been deleted. That said, I've changed quite a few things, so much so that it's not super similar to the old version anymore.
> 
> 3) I used Írissë for Aredhel and Tyelkormo for Celegorm throughout.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! <3

An arrow twanged through the air. As it sank into the centre of the wooden target set on the other side of the clearing, Írissë let out a victorious whoop, the eighth one so far, and turned to grin at Elenwë.

Elenwë lifted her eyes from the wreath of golden _laurinquë_ flowers in her lap. She clapped happily, returning Írissë’s smile, and Írissë felt a rush of heat in her core that had little to do with her archery practice.

A short while ago Elenwë had slipped into the clearing, barefoot and quiet, seeking Írissë out after the Dance as was her habit of late. She was still wearing the leaf-green tunic that those who joined Vána in her Dance often did. Her bare knees were pressed into the grass as she knelt at the foot of a great mossy boulder, and in the mingled light of Laurelin and Telperion, her hair shone like spun gold, dishevelled and lovely about her shoulders. Írissë’s grin turned dreamy; she let the bow dangle loosely from her fingers and made to move closer to Elenwë.

“Terrible shot, Írissë!” Tyelkormo hollered from some way off, making his way through the trees towards the clearing.

Rolling her eyes, Írissë spun on her heel to face him.

“Are you sure you know how to use that?” Tyelkormo asked as he came to stand beside her, jerking his head towards her bow.

Írissë cocked an eyebrow at him. “What, are you a master archer now, Tyelko, here to oh-so-graciously bestow your knowledge upon us common folk?”

Tyelkormo bowed with mock grandeur, then plucked the bow out of Írissë’s fingers. “I’m glad you recognise superior talent when you see it.”

Írissë had to fight back a smile. She stepped aside to let Tyelkormo take her spot, handing him an arrow from the quiver at her hip.

As he nocked the arrow to the bowstring, she threw a conspiratorial glance towards Elenwë. “I must say I am deeply impressed, cousin,” she said. “Just the other day Nórimë was telling me about the Hunt, and how in your latest outing your aim with the spear was so bad that you entirely missed the deer and in fact hit Oromë squarely in—”

“Írissë,” Tyelkormo interrupted as Elenwë burst into giggles, “you’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?” Írissë blinked at him, all innocence, though the smile on her lips was all too knowing as she turned her face from Elenwë and met Tyelkormo’s gaze. She hooked an arm through his, dragging him to the other side of the clearing out of Elenwë’s earshot. Tyelkormo huffed out a breath of laughter, and went where he was led.

“You _are_ doing it again,” he said, delighted.

Írissë shot a hurried look back towards Elenwë, then pulled Tyelkormo even further away until they were practically in the trees.

“If by _it_ you mean attempting to win the heart of that glorious lady over there while you interrupt me with your boorish ways—”

“Uncalled for, cousin.”

“Then yes,” Írissë hissed, ignoring him, “I am doing it again. And I’d appreciate some help over here.”

Tyelkormo looked thoughtful for a moment. “If you are asking for advice on how to woo a lady—”

Írissë shook her head. “Tyelko, you know you are my favourite disaster, but I am not going to thrust a spear into Elenwë’s face and talk at length about how far I can throw it. And, by the way, you should really stop bringing that spear with you to public spaces if the incident with Oromë is anything to go by.”

“Now, now, I’ll have you know that Nórimë was greatly exaggerating—”

“She wasn’t.”

“She absolutely was, and anyway, Írissë, you have to admit it worked brilliantly. Istimë was impressed.”

“Horrified, Tyelko, she was horrified. Someone with such delicate sensibilities—”

“ _You_ were always happy to listen to my heroic tales of spear-throwing.”

“Do I look like someone with delicate sensibilities?”

At that Tyelkormo snorted, and Írissë grinned at him. “Now _go_. It’s bad enough that Elenwë knows I associate with you.”

Tyelkormo passed the bow and arrow back to her, flashing a dazzling smile. “A keeper, then.”

“Go,” Írissë laughed at him.

Mouthing _good luck_ at her, he sprang away towards the heart of the forest.

Írissë watched his retreating form until he melted away into the shadows of the trees, and then with a fond shake of the head, she started walking back towards Elenwë. “Sorry about that.”

Elenwë gave her a placid smile. “Tyelkormo, wasn’t it?”

Írissë beamed at her. She deposited the bow and quiver beside the boulder and plopped down next to Elenwë. “That’s him. My darling cousin who may or may not be genuinely deranged. It’s an oft-debated topic in the family.”

Elenwë looked like she wanted to say something else, something more, but then she pursed her lips in the way she always did when she was lost in thought.

The afternoon was fading into a gentle evening. Laurelin waned while Telperion waxed, filling the air with a silver shimmer. In this light, Elenwë was a vision, bright and graceful as a star, and Írissë forgot how to breathe.

“Elenwë…” she began in a whisper, her heart brimming with longing, but she hardly knew what she wanted to say, let alone how to say it.

She settled for staring at Elenwë, struck by her loveliness, and when Elenwë’s hand darted out to clasp her own, she couldn’t stop the soft little noise that came bubbling up from her chest any more than she could stop the slow changing of the light.

“You’re hurt,” Elenwë murmured, caressing a thumb over Írissë’s fingers and the calluses left there by her bow.

“It’s…” Írissë swallowed; her mouth felt dry. “It’s nothing.”

“Hmm.” Elenwë threaded her fingers through Írissë’s own; her touch was soft, and warm, and something inside Írissë seemed to melt. “It’s the archery, isn’t it?”

Írissë nodded, and tried for a grin. “I’ve been getting better.”

“I know,” Elenwë smiled. Her gaze met Írissë’s own, and Írissë couldn’t help noticing the flecks of green in her brown eyes, touched to brilliance by the gentle light of Telperion. She let out a happy sigh as Elenwë said, “I can patch you up, if you want. There’s a root that can be steeped in hot water, just below the boiling point, and the infusion will heal this in a twinkling.”

Írissë stared at her rather helplessly. “That would be wonderful,” she said when she remembered how to speak again. “You’re wonderful.”

Elenwë giggled, blushing, and Írissë caught herself wondering if her skin would be warm under her lips if she kissed her.

“I could walk you home,” Elenwë offered. “We could stop by my house on the way, I wouldn’t keep you long—”

Írissë hardly knew what she was doing until her lips were pressed against Elenwë’s. A second passed in breathless silence, or perhaps several seconds that felt like an eternity, but then Elenwë returned the kiss, soft and sweet and perfect in every way.

They pulled apart, too soon, laughing, lingering close to each other. And when she murmured her reply against Elenwë’s lips, Írissë felt sure she would never stop smiling.

“You can keep me as long as you want.”


End file.
